Open-air brick-drier.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. W. BERNARD. OPEN AIR BRICK DRIER.

AIPLIOATIOR FILED JUNE 21. 1906.

J 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y5 rm: NORRIS PETERS cm. wnsnmarou. a.

No. 860,120. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

w. BERNARD. OPEN, AIR BRICK DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 1906.

A 2 SKEETB-BHEET 2.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

v r By .1 I r I 0 1n: NcRms PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

WILLIAM BERNARD, Oi. FREDERIGKSBUHG, VIRGINIA.

OPEN-AIR BRICK-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Applieatinn filed June 21,1906. Serial No. 322,789.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I WILLIAM BERNARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fredericksburg, in the county of Spottsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Open-Air Brick-Drier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in drying bricks and its object is to provide a substitute for the drying sheds ordinarily employed.

As is well known to persons acquainted with the art of brick making the use of drying sheds is undesirable for several reasons-among which may be mentioned the fact that it is impossible to at all times supply the bricks with a desired supply of air or sunlight and as a result the process of drying the bricks is greatly prolonged. It has been customary to leave off certain boards of the roof of drying sheds in order to secure a draft throught the bricks and to admit a certain amount of sunlight but even with this provision satisfactory results are not obtained and considerable loss of time is incurred by the placing and removing of the loose boards before and after rain storms and the like.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whereby green bricks either of stiff or soft clay can be dried in the open air and can be either entirely or partly exposed to the rays of the sun.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus which can be quickly manipulated so as to completely cover the bricks if desired or to expose them.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of an elongated platform having upright frames at desired intervals which support ridge and cave wires arranged longitudinally above the platform and provided with suitable means for rendering them taut. These wires are detachably mounted on their supports at points between their ends and carry a fabric cover adapted to be drawn longitudinally along the wires so as to completely cover the platform. Said wires are also connected to the frame for the purpose of holding side curtains which may he slid longitudinally along the wires either to expose or shield the bricks upon the platform. A shed is disposed at one end of the platform for the purpose of receiving the cover and curtains when the same are not in use and suitable gu'y wires or rods are connected to the end frames of the apparatus for rendering the entire structure rigid.

The invention also consists of certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus and showing the cover and curtains drawn to protect the contents; Fig. 2 is a central lon gitudinal section through a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section therethrongh; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the supporting bolts.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 is a platform of any preferred length the same being mounted upon stringers 2 and the ends thereof being inclined upward from the ground so that wheel barrows, etc, may be readily pushed on to the platform. Arranged at opposite 'sides of the platform adjacent one end are uprights 3 connected by a cross beam 4 and two pairs of uprights are disposed adjacent the uprights 3 and support cross beams 6. A roof 7 is arranged upon these beams 4 and 6 and the shed thus produced is adapted to receive the fabric coverings of the apparatus when not in use. A pair of uprights 8 is arranged adjacent the center of the platform and are connected by a cross beam 9. Preferably two pairs of uprights 10 and 1] are arranged close to the other end of the platform and these are connected by cross beams 12 and 13 respectively. Dead men 14' are arranged adjacent the ends of the platform and have guy rods 15 extending from them and these rods are connected to the beams 4 and 13 by means of wires or rods 16 and 17 respectively. Bolts 18 are secured to the centers of the beams 6, 9 and 12 and their lower ends are formed with hooks 19. A ridge wire 20 is supported by these hooks and the ends of said wire are suitably secured to the center portions of the beams 4 and 13. A turn buckle 21 is connected to the ridge wire near one end so that the same can be pulled taut.

Each of the uprights 3 has an opening 22 therethrough at "a suitable distance from the ground and extending through these openings are cave wires 23 which are fastened at their ends to the guy rods 15 at the two ends of the platform. These eave wires extend longitudinally of the apparatus and rest within hooks 24 formed at the ends of bolts 25 and which are detachably secured to the uprights 5, 8, 10 and 11. Afabric covering 26 is mounted on these wires and is connected to the ridge wire by means of a series of rings 27 which are arranged longitudinally along the center of the cover and slidably engage the said wire. Rings 28 are secured along the side edges of the coverings and slidably engage the cave wires.

Bolts 29 which are similar to, but preferably longer than the bolts 25 are detachably secured to all of the uprights except the uprights 3 and support upper side wires 30 which extend through openings 31' in the uprights 3 and are fastened at their ends to the guy rods 15. A series of rings 32 is mounted on each of these wires 30 and aresecured along the .upper edges of curtains 33. A series or rings 34 is also fastened to the lower edge of each of these curtains. These rings are mounted on lower side wires 35 which are detachably supported by rods 36 similar to the rods 29. These rods extend from all of the uprights except the uprights 3 which, instead have openings 37 therethrough from which the wires extend. The ends of the wires 35 are fastened to the guy rods [5. Each 01' the wires 23, 30 and 35 has a turn buckle 38 adjacent; one end whereby the wires may be made taut so as to prevent sa ging under the weight of the cover 26 and curtain 23.

As heretofore stated when the fabric cover and curtains are not in use the same are supported upon their respective wires within. the shed. When, however green bricks are to be placed in position upon the platform the covenand curtains are slid along the wires to the opposite end of the platform, the wires being released from the hooks of the bolts 25, 29 and 3G during this operation. Bricks are conveyed along the platform from the shed end and are stacked beginni ng at the opposite end of the platform. The cover 26 and ourtains are drawn over the bricks as last as they are stacked and it is therefore obvious that when the stacking operation is completed the covering and the curtains will entirely conceal the bricks II it is desired to expose the bricks to the air and to the suns rays the cover and curtains may be left at one end of the apparatus and by drawing either or both of the curtains from the bricks light and air admitted to them maybe regulated. With this apparatus bricks can. be stacked in the open air and will receix e the full benefit of the light and wind and in the event of a storm the cover and curtains can be quickly drawn over all of the bricks and will protect them from injury. If the bricks are very soft and it is desired to place them upon racks a desired number of racks may be disposed upon the platform and the pallets containing the bricks can be inserted into the racks from the sides of the apparatus. Of course who're racks are used the disposition of the Wires will be different so that the cave and top side wires will not interfere with the lateral placing or removal of the pallets. Where the apparatus is to be supplied from the sides the ridge wire 20 need not be fastened to the beams 4 and 1.3 but may be extended down and secured to central guy rods 39. This arrangement is, however, of course undesirable where the green bricks are taken into the apparatus at the ends because the cave Wire and the guy rods 39 will be in the Way of the operator.

It is to be understood that if preferred the platform 1 may be dispensed with, in which case the uprights would be extended into the ground. The platform is invariably dispensed with where the rack system is employed in drying soft mud bricks.

The preferred form of the invention has been set forth in the'ioregoing description but I do not limit myself thereto as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within thescope of the claims.

What is claim ed is:

1. ln brick drying apparatus the combination with a so ms of spaced uprights and cross beams connecting the same; ol' :1 housing disposed at one end oi. said series, a ridge wire carried by the cross beams and extending lbroug'b the housing, have wires dctuchnbly supported by the uprights and extending through the housing, anchoring moans disposed adjacent the ends 01' the apparatus, adjustable tcnsioning devices connecting the cave wires and anchoring means, anda fabric covering slidnbly supporlcd upon the ridge and cave wires and movable thereon into the housing;

2.1\ brick drying apparatus comprising a series of spaced uprights, transversely extending beams supported thcrcby, :1 housing adjacent one end of the series of up rights, a ridge wire dciacbably supported by said beams and extending through the housing, cave wires detaehahly supported by the uprights and extending through the housing, upper and lower side wires below the cave wires and dctuchably supported by the uprights, anchoring means at the ends of the apparatus, adjustable tensioning devices connecting said anchoring means with the cave and side wires. a fabric covering slidably mounted upon the ridge and cave wires and movable into the housing, and side curtains movably mounted on the side Wires and movable into the housing.

H. A brick drying apparatus comprising a stationary platform. a housing supported above the platform, series of spaced uprights at opposite sides of the platform. transversely extending cross beams supported by the uprights. a ridge wire delacliably supported by the cross beams and extending into the housing, cave wires detach ably supported by the uprights and extending through the housing, upper and lower side wires detachably supported by the uprights, anchoring means adjacent the ends of the platform, adjustable tensioning means connecting the anchoring means with the cave and side wires, a fabric covering slidably mounted upon the ridge and cave wires and movable mounted on the side wires and movable into the housing.

-l. In a brick drying apparatus the combination with a series of spaced uprights and cross beams connecting the same: of a housing disposed at one end of said series, a ridge wire carried by the cross beams and extending into the housing, cave wires detachably supported by the uprights and extending into the housing, anchoring means, said cave wires Pbeing adjustably connected to the anchoring means, and a) flexible covering slidably supported upon the ri go and cave wires and movable thereon into the housing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto al'lixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BERNARD. Witnesses .TNo. T. Goomncrc, Jonu S. BnoAo.

into the housing, and curtains slidably 

